It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. Holidays are the best but holidays can also be stressful, especially if you\u2019re entertaining family or friends and haven’t planned in advance. Let me share a few things you can do to make your Thanksgiving day chaos free.<\/span><\/p>\n

THREE WEEKS BEFORE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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• Guest list: Determine how many guests you will be expecting.<\/span><\/li>\n
• Menu: Browse recipes and plan your menu. (A good ballpark is 2-3 appetizers, 3-4 sides, 2-3 desserts, and then your beverages\/wine.) \u00a0Make sure to print recipes as you find them. I like to gather all my recipes and store in a folder or large ziplock bag.
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• Grocery List: Take inventory of what you have and what you need. When making your list, refer to each recipe as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
• Tools: Check inventory for the tools you’ll need (baster, roasting pan, gravy boat, etc) and make a list of items you need to purchase.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  TWO WEEKS BEFORE<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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  • Tablescape: Decide on your centerpiece or tablescape. Make sure your table linens are clean and pressed, and that you have enough napkins, dishes, and serving pieces.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Seating: Determine where you will eat and make sure you have enough chairs\/tables for seating.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Turkey: Purchase your turkey and keep frozen. \u00a0 \u00a0 ( Plan on 1.5 lbs. of turkey per person for leftovers)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Music: If you’d like to play music for your guests, start creating your playlist now. Spotify and Pandora both have pre-made holiday playlists.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    ONE WEEK BEFORE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Fridge\/Freezer: Clean out your fridge\/freezer to make room for leftovers. Make sure you have plenty of storage containers and paper goods on hand for leftovers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Command Center: If possible, create a shelf or space in your pantry or a cabinet where you can store all your Thanksgiving essentials together. This will make it easier to pull all your ingredients when you begin prepping and cooking.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Make a prep schedule: Refer to your menu and determine what items can be prepped in advance and when they need to be started.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Seating: If you will be having place cards, determine your seating arrangement and make place cards.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Attire: Make sure you know what you and your kiddos are wearing. This would be a great time to snap a pic for Holiday cards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    3-5 DAYS BEFORE<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Thaw Turkey: Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs. of turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Check menu: Do a last-minute menu check to make sure you have all items needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Table: Set table. It’s always nice to set your table a few days early so you can enjoy it for more than one day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Beverages: Purchase all your beverages\/wine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    2-3 DAYS BEFORE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Clean: Tidy your house. Stock powder bath with clean towels, toilet paper, and soap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pies: Make pie crusts<\/span><\/p>\n

    Glassware: Make sure you have plenty of clean glasses (water, tea, wine)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Stuffing: cut the bread cubes for dressing\/stuffing if needed<\/span><\/p>\n

    Leftover recipes: Browse for recipes using leftovers and save them to have ready after the big day.<\/span><\/p>\n

    DAY BEFORE<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Platter prep: Gather all your serving bowls and platters and label what they will be used for with a sticky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Schedule: Write out a cooking schedule and timeline for the big day.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Veggies: Chop any veggies needed for salads, sides or veggie trays. Peel potatoes and store in a bowl of water in the fridge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Baking:\u00a0Finish up any baking you have.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Ice: Make sure you have plenty of ice for beverages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Camera: Make sure your camera is charged and ready to go for picture taking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    MORNING OF<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Chill: Chill wine and any other beverages.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Dishwasher: Empty dishwasher so it’s ready for clean up time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Cook: Refer to cooking schedule and begin cooking. Have a super Thanksgiving!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Stay tuned for my next post, where I will be sharing some Thanksgiving Tablescape inspo!<\/span><\/p>\n

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     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. Holidays are the best but holidays can also be stressful, especially if you\u2019re entertaining family or friends and haven’t planned in advance. Let me share a few things you can do to make your Thanksgiving day chaos free. THREE WEEKS BEFORE Guest list: Determine how many […]<\/p>\nVIEW MORE<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[157,153,156,155,154],"yoast_head":"\n